The Abundant Life: Riches money can’t buy…
Those living the abundant life realize that rest is important. It is vital for our physical and spiritual health and well-being.
From the beginning it was so. God worked for many days and then he rested. (Genesis 2:2) Since God has boundless energy, one has to wonder why He did this. Yes, it’s true that He had completed His work, but perhaps He was also setting an example to let us know that rest is important. God created rest and it is good! Therefore, the Bible if full of scriptures encouraging us to rest because it has many benefits.
Physical rest is therapeutic, healing, and replenishing for our bodies. Old sayings like “The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep” and “a good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book” seem to be rooted in truth.
Spiritual rest can draw us closer to God which will restore and replenish our souls. No wonder we are told to “rest in the Lord…” (Psalm 37:7) God tells us to come to Him when we are weary and He will give us rest. (Matthew 11:28) Our soul can only find true rest in the Lord. (Psalm 62:1)
Unfortunately, people find little time for sleep in this 24/7 world. The results are problems, frustrations, and anger. Poor sleep habits create mistakes and miscalculations. Lack of sleep affects concentration and coordination. Many driving accidents can be linked to driver fatigue. Not only does lack of sleep make people testy and accident-prone, it makes them vulnerable to disease and infection.
Years ago people went to sleep when it got dark. The invention of electricity and the light bulb changed all that. Today video games, television, and computers provide us with lots of late-night options. Grocery stores are open all night long. Telephone service is available all night long. We can literally wake up in a city that never sleeps all over the world.
Sleep doesn’t always come easy. The pressure and stress of life can weigh heavily on one’s mind. That’s when we really need to learn to rest in the Lord. We can lift all our burdens to Him. Let go and let God! He has everything under control. Psalms 4:8 says, “I will lay me down in peace to sleep” for God makes me dwell in safety.
Those living abundant lives realize their need for rest. They pull back a bit so they can replenish. They have also learned to sleep in peace because they know they are safe in God’s hands. He never slumbers or sleeps. (Psalm 121:4) We don’t have to work 24/7 because God does that for us, so we can get some rest.
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“…I have come that they may have life and that they
may have it more abundantly.” ~John 10:10 (KJV)
